Gotcha Date:October 20th 2008Likes:He loves to go bike riding with our walkydog leash, pull me on rollerblades, learn new tricks, ectPet-Peeves:Not getting attention (He gets plenty though), strangers knocking on the doorFavorite Toy:Kong ball with a treat insideFavorite Food:Whatever I eat although he rarely gets to eat anything but dogfood. He even likes picklesFavorite Walk:The park, anywhere as long as where togetherBest Tricks:Weave through my legs, jump through hullahoop, balance and catch treats on his nose, rollover, picks up his toys after himself, always stays when I tell him to, takes my socks off my feet for me and my hoodie, shuts doors when I tell him to, ect ect ectArrival Story:I went to the animal shelter wanting to adopt a puppy. As I walked passed the rows of kennels most the pups didn't pay much attention. As soon as I got to Sig's kennel he was trying to jump through the bars at me yipping with playful excitement. When I held him in the visiting room he was licking my hands thankful I took him out. I knew right then I wanted to give him a home. He picked me and we had an instant bond. When I took him home he followed me around the house and wouldn't leave my side, he was six weeks old then. He would even sit on my feet while I did dishes. He's almost two now and bunches of training, fun, walks, bike rides, lots of tricks, discipline, and funny moments later he still follows me around like he did from day one! He has tons of personality. When I feel down he pokes me with his toy and jumps back growling and it always makes me laugh! We are very bonded and attached and I wouldn't give him up for the world.Bio:I began training Sig early, from day one. He was six weeks old when I got him. I noticed that I had a knack for training dogs because of him. He's very smart and almost seems human to me. I enrolled in Animal behavior college to become a proffessional dog trainer. Right now I am volunteering at the local humane society training dogs to make them more adoptable. Because of my dog Sig I found my calling, and what I want to do for the rest of my life!The Last Forum I Posted In:When did you fall in love with your dog?I've Been On Dogster Since:

As a dog tainer my dog has taught me many things

*Dog crate
This helps in a variety of ways. When you go to bed you don't have to worry about your dog roaming the house to go potty. If you work you can crate your dog to avoid your house being destroyed if your dog isn't trained fully. My dog was crate trained and wasn't allowed free roam of the house till he was six months old and I could trust him. Make sure the crate is big enough for your dog to stand all the way up, and be able to turn a full circle. NO bigger. Bigger crates will allow a dog to potty in the corner and make house training take longer. Dogs are den animals and love tight dark spaces. But that doesn't mean there isn't training involved in getting your dog to get accustomed to it. DO NOT force your dog in the crate and traumatise him. Leave the crate open and sitting in the spot you will keep it. Hide toys, treats, and other goodies for your dog to find. Your dog will eventually like to go to his crate on his own and won't mind you shutting him in. Be patient. And if your dog is to be in a crate while your at work be sure to feed, water, and excersise your dog before you go to work. Also take your dog to use the restroom more than once. Leave your dog some toys to play with in his crate. Good ideas are kong balls with a treat inside, raw hide, hard rubber bone, NOTHING that your dog can choke on. And be sure you know your dogs behavior with each toy before you leave him alone with it. Tug ropes are a bad idea because they can be torn and ingested. Stuffed animals aren't good either.

*Kong ball
It's durable rubber toy that has a hole in the center for treats to be stuffed in. You can find them anywhere dog toys are sold. Petco and petsmart supplies them. If you stuff a kong treat in your dog will be licking the hole for hours to get the treat out. It keeps there attention to fend off boredom if you aren't home. Make sure you get the appropriate size for your dog! You can read packaging to find out what size for what breed. They're around 10 bucks and totally worth it! Even the most aggressive chewers will not tear this toy up.

*Head halti
It's a collar that loops around the back of the head and the snout. This is VERY useful if your dog is a puller. It controls the position of their head. Just make sure you put it on correctly. If you put it on wrong it's uncomfortable for your dog and will not function as it should. Check the instructions first! You can get them at petco and petsmart. 12 bucks! Choke collars don't even come close to the control this offers and its comfortable and not painful. Choke collars are dangerous and can damage your dogs throat. Choke collars really don't help with the pulling either.

*Walkydog bike leash
If you don't have the time to take your energetic dog on a two hour walk this is perfect. Thirty minutes of your dog running beside your bike will have them tired and happy! This leash is designed to keep you safe and hands free. I had to buy it online though, no stores around me sold them. Check amazon. 40 bucks

*Furminator dog brush and spray
Spray your dog with the conditioning spray and brush your shedding problems away. This is the best dog brush I've ever used! My dog doesn't look it, but he's a shedder. It takes a lil time to get all the hair out but it's worth it. It's about 35 dollars. But it actually works!

*Bite sized dog treats
Never underestimate the power treats have over your dog. I taught my dog every trick he knows by using dog treats! It's positive and effective! Toys can teach your dog as well. Just don't yell at your dog if he's not learning "Fast enough."

I guess that would be the most obvious solution to keeping your dog's energy down. The length of the walk entirely depends on breed, size, age, weight, and heath of your dog. You be the judge! Dog's have whats referred to as a migration instinct. They love to just wonder around outside of their normal area. A dog that is always forced to play in the yard will become bored, loud, and destructive. They won't excersise in the yard because they will lose interest in it. So you will notice digging, barking, pacing(does not help with excersise), or just laying around. These behaviors my annoy and frustrate you. But just imagine how frustrated your dog is that it's so bored? Think how bad your mood becomes when you become bored. If you have a dog that pulls a head haltie is a great solution! its a head collar that prevents pulling because it controls the position of there head. Worked great on my pulling dog and even made him more friendly to approaching strangers.

*Teach your dog a new trick

All dogs are capible of learning new things. It's all dependent on how well you can communicate with your dog and how positive you can be. It's best not to overdo it when your dog is learning. Make it fun, turn it into a game. For example, I taught my dog how to find a toy when I hide it in the house. I locked him in the bathroom and put it in plain sight the first time. When he found it I acted as if he made my day, or even my year. I hugged, pet, and told him what a good boy he was. Each time I hid the toy in a little bit more complicated of a place. He learned to keep searching until he found it. Each time I reward him and act just as excited as he is about finding it. The mental stimulation of learning something new can leave you dog feeling very satisfied, and tired! Just remember to not yell, hit, or traumatise your dog if you become frustrated because you feel they aren't learning it fast enough. This will only make your dog distrust you and it won't learn what you're attempting to teach. If you or your dog becomes frustrated quit, and pick it up later.

*Take your dog on a bike ride

This is my favorite thing to do because only thirty minutes to an hour leaves both of us pooped. Buy a walkydog bike leash. Look on my profile pictures and you'll see an example of a walkydog. It's a metal attachment that its hands free! The dog cannot pull you over even if he tries. Just don't ride too fast and force your dog to become overheated or dehydrated. Bring water for both of you. I squirt water in his mouth from the bottle attached to my bike. Best part is it will get both of you in shape! I couldn't find the walkydog in stores so your best bet is amazon.com or ebay to find it. Even petco didn't supply them. They are extremely stirdy and well worth the 30 bucks

*Play fetch in the yard

Your dog would have more fun in the yard with you there with him. Kick a soccar ball around or throw a tennis ball! Play tug O' war and run around making your dog chase you. This shouldn't be the only source of excersise your dog gets though, like I said before your dog NEEDS to roam around.

*Rollerblade with your dog

ONLY do this if you have a safe place to go, you have good balance, and your dog knows what the word STOP! means. It's fun to have your dog pull you and dogs love that pulling is finally acceptable. Not only do they get to run but the wieght of pulling you around will really wear them out. If you have a smaller dog they can run beside you while you rollerblade. Just be very wary of traffic and other people.

*Agility classes
An agility course with your dog is fun for you and your dog. They get to learn weaving, running through tubes, and all sorts of new commands! They get tons of mental and physical stimulation that will leave them tired and happy.

*Take your dog swimming
Not all dogs take to the water but ALL dogs can learn to love it. Never force your dog but luring would work fine. Walk and play with your dog in the shallow end first and slowly build it up. Swimming works all of your dog's muscles and take away some energy as well!

Well have fun trying some of these activities out. I've done most of them and my dog is very fulfilled. I find it heartbreaking when a dog is chained in a yard day in and day out bored out of it's mind. Most people in my neighborhood do their dogs this way. If you don't have at least an hour to excersise your dog a day do not get a dog! It's very unfair for them to suffer because you have "no time". You can also hire a dogwalker in your area if you really need to! Do your best friend a favor and enrich their lives!